During the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Switzerland’s support for Ukraine’s dairy sector within the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (Quality FOOD Trade Programme, QFTP), participants in the Raw Milk Control Program (RMCP) were awarded for their best results.
Thanks to Switzerland’s support, the RMCP has been successfully implemented in Ukraine for over six years. Its aim is to ensure regular monitoring of the quality and safety of raw milk, to improve the traceability of its production and distribution, and to harmonize the Ukrainian control system with EU requirements.
Within the framework of the RMCP, laboratory tests are carried out on key indicators, in particular, somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), freezing point (FP), and residues of antimicrobial substances/antibiotics (INH). The results are recorded on the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP)’ IT platform “Dairy Module”, which ensures the accounting and traceability of samples, the transfer of laboratory test results to interested parties, and the monitoring of the regularity of food business operators (FBOs)’ tests.
“The RMCP is an important step towards improving the safety of dairy products, transparency of production and consumer confidence. It harmonizes the Ukrainian quality control system with European requirements and strengthens the competitiveness of Ukrainian dairy products on domestic and foreign markets. The Program will be rolled out in line with a jointly prepared Roadmap until the end of 2026,” said Manon Schuppers, Co-CEO of SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).
The program began as a pilot project involving only 15 FBOs, 4 laboratories, and 4 Main Administration of the SSUFSCP in oblasts. Today, it covers more than 1,000 milk producers, 54 authorized laboratories, 500 sampling delegates and more than 200 inspectors in all oblasts controlled by Ukraine.
This year, RMCP participants were recognized in six categories for the best results:
1) Best results within the RMCP in the “Unbreakable” category – farms from the oblasts most affected by the war, which demonstrated the best results in raw milk testing for SCC in 2024. Winners: “Gnidynci-Agro” LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “Shevchenko Agrofirma” LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “Irzhavetske” Agricultural LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “Moloko Vitchyzny” LLC (Sumy oblast), “Dobrobut” Agricultural LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “Dovira” LLC (Sumy oblast), “Nyva-Plus” Agricultural LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “NYVA 2008” LLC (Chernihiv oblast), “Promin” Agricultural LLC (Mykolaiv oblast), “Fortuna” Private agricultural enterprise (Chernihiv oblast). The assessment was conducted among active farms in nine oblasts of Ukraine based on the average SCC for the 12 months of 2024.
2) Best results among authorized laboratories within the RMCP – ranking was based on the total number of tests conducted by the laboratory in 2022–2024. Attention was also paid to the range of tests (4 indicators: TBC, SCC, INH, and FP) for each year. Winners: Pyriatyn and Shishaki branches of the regional state laboratory of the SSUFSCP in Poltava oblast, Mykolaiv, Poltava and Khmelnytskyi regional state laboratories of the SSUFSCP.
3) Best results in implementing the RMCP at the regional level – for the most effective implementation of the RMCP at the local level, namely by recognizing the oblasts with the highest proportion of cows covered by the RMCP. Winners: Main Administrations of the SSUFSCP in Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi oblasts.
4) The winners in the category “Best milk production farms in the category “Lowest level of SCC” were “Oktan” LLC (Poltava oblast), “Agrokompleks “Zelena Dolyna” LLC (Vinnytsia oblast), “Vepryk Plus” LLC (Poltava oblast), and “Vysoke” Farm (Poltava oblast). Farms that conducted monthly tests for three years and had an average SCC of less than 200,000 cells/ml were eligible for evaluation.
5) “Best results within the RMCP in the category “Responsible Small Milk Producer” – farms with up to 50 cows that demonstrate consistent product quality. Winners: Farm “Zelena Lozhka” (Chernihiv oblast), Agricultural farming enterprise “Prolisok” (Chernihiv oblast) and Farm “Milknov” (Chernihiv oblast). The ranking was based on the average SCC for 2024.
6) Best results among milk collection points in the category “Lowest level of SCC” – for the lowest SCC level during 2022–2024. Winners: “Nadiya-V” LLC (Vinnytsia oblast) and “Panasyuk Valentina Ivanivna” PE (Vinnytsia region).
“The awarding of winners for the best results within the RMCP is recognition that the Ukrainian dairy sector has adapted to systemic changes. It is thanks to the daily work of these participants that trust in Ukrainian milk is being built – from farm to consumer,” said Iryna Vysotska, Deputy Local Manager of QFTP, Dairy Sector Component Coordinator.
For more details on the results of Swiss support for Ukraine’s dairy sector and progress in implementing the RMCP, please watch the video at the link.
